The present invention relates to the field of construction, and provides a device in the nature of a caulking gun, for rapid application of adhesive, or other compound, to an elongated member such as a base that is installed along the bottom of a wall.
It has been known, in the construction industry, to provide a base or base board, or its equivalent, along the bottom of the walls of a room. The base or base board serves the aesthetic function of defining an attractive border where the floor meets the wall.
In residential applications, it is common to use a base board, typically built up from a plurality of rigid elongated pieces, and defining a continuous structure extending around the periphery of the room. In commercial applications, it is more common to use a base that is not rigid, such as a rubber or synthetic rubber or vinyl structure, and to adhere the base directly to the wall. Like the case of the rigid board, the flexible base usually extends from the floor to a level that may be several inches above the floor. The present invention can be used to apply adhesive to either kind of base, but is especially intended for use in commercial installations where the base is an elongated flexible member.
The flexible base material described above must be firmly affixed to the wall, and this step is usually performed with an adhesive. The adhesive is usually applied to the base using a caulking gun or its equivalent, and the flexible base is then pressed against the wall, such that the flexible material and the wall become permanently adhered together.
A problem with the above process is that it is relatively time-consuming and difficult to apply an adhesive properly to a long length of material. Not only must the adhesive be provided along the length of the base, but the adhesive must also be distributed with reasonable uniformity over the area of the base, so that when the base is pressed against the wall, the adhesive bond will be strong.
A related and more severe problem occurs when the bead of adhesive becomes too close to the top edge of the base. When this happens, and when the base is pressed against the wall, adhesive seeps or oozes out, above the top of the base. This problem requires cleanup by the installer, and in some cases requires touch-up painting or re-application of a wall covering, such as wallpaper, to hide the glue marks left on the wall. The process of dealing with the excess adhesive that seeps above the base is very time consuming at best, and very costly at worst, and is a significant problem in the industry.
In the prior art, it has been known to apply the adhesive with a caulking gun that has been fitted with a special tip. The tip has a plurality of channels, terminating in a plurality of openings, so that adhesive ejected from a cartridge is forced through the channels and out through the openings, forming a set of parallel lines of adhesive along the base. The use of the plurality of openings addresses the need to distribute the adhesive uniformly over the surface of the base, and it also, at least theoretically, provides a solution to the problem of glue seeping out above the base.
In practice, however, it is difficult to move the caulking gun rapidly, while still maintaining the proper positioning of the lines of adhesive. If moved too quickly, the devices of the prior art are likely to produce lines of adhesive that are not straight, and the adhesive may be distributed unevenly over the base. If the topmost line of adhesive becomes too close to the top of the base, the problem of seepage will arise again. A solution to the problem is to work more slowly, but doing so reduces the productivity of the craftsperson.
The present invention provides a device for applying adhesives, or other compounds, to an elongated member, and enables construction personnel to apply the adhesive both rapidly and accurately. The invention virtually assures that the uppermost bead of glue will never be too close to the top of the base, so that seeping or oozing will not occur when the base is pressed against the wall.
The invention also enables prior art caulking devices to be easily modified to include the features of the present invention.